Elizabeth Brewster
by George J. Dance Elizabeth Winifred Brewster, CM (August 26, 1922 - December 26, 2012) was a Canadian poet and academic.Elizabeth Brewster, InMemoriam.ca. Web, May 16, 2014. Life Brewster was born in Chipman, New Brunswick, a small logging town. She began writing poetry at the age of 9 or 10.Justin Joschko, Elizabeth Brewster, New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia, Spring 2009, St. Thomas University. Web, Mar. 30, 2017. She earned a B.A. degree from the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in 1946, an M.A. from Radcliffe College in 1947, a Bachelor of Library Science from the University of Toronto in 1952, and a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1962. At UNB, she was a member of Alfred Bailey's Bliss Carman Society, and a founding member of The Fiddlehead poetry magazine in 1945.Introduction, Fiddlehead/Cogswell papers (UARG83), UNB Archives, Lib.UNB.ca, Web, Oct. 29, 2011. During the 1950s and 1960s she worked as a librarian at libraries across Canada, including the New Brunswick Legislative Library. She taught English at the University of Victoria, 1960-1961, and at the University of Alberta, 1970-1971. She began teaching English at the University of Saskatchewan in 1972, and remained there until her retirement as a full professor in 1990.Bob Ivanochko, "Elizabeth Brewster," Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, URegina.ca, Web, Oct. 29, 2011. In 1951 Ryerson Press issued her debut poetry collection, East Coast. She began writing fiction in the 1970's, publishing her earliest novel in 1974 and a earliest collection of short stories in 1977. She was a life member of the League of Canadian Poets. Writing New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia: "During her long and prestigious career, Brewster embraced a variety of styles. Originally published in the era of second-generation Canadian modernism, her early poetry is clearly modernist. By eschewing the grandiose metaphors and erudite vocabulary popular in that era, however, her poems favour a colloquial voice that seems on the surface to be almost prosaic. Beneath her straightforward diction dwells great intelligence and a shrewd eye for powerful, if subdued, details." Recognition Brewster received a honorary doctorate from UNB in 1982. She was given a Lifetime Award for excellence in the arts from the Saskatchewan Arts Board in 1985. Her poetry collection Footnotes to the Book of Job was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English language poetry in 1996. In 2001, she became a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor. Her poetry was anthologized in the Penguin Book of Canadian Verse. Publications Poetry *''East Coast''. Toronto: Ryerson, 1951. *''Lillooet''. Toronto: Ryerson, 1951. *''Roads, and other poems''. Toronto: Ryerson, 1957. *''Five New Brunswick Poets'' (Elizabeth Brewster, Fred Cogswell, Robert Gibbs, Alden Nowlan, Kay Smith). Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1962.Greg Cook, Selected Bibliography of Works by Alden Nowlan, English-Canadian Writers, Centre for Language and Literature, Athabasca University, AthabascaU.ca, Web, June 9, 2012. *''Passage of Summer: Selected poems''. Toronto: Ryerson, 1969. *''Sunrise North''. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1974. *''In Search of Eros''. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1974. *''Sometimes I Think of Moving''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1977. *''The Way Home''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1982. *''Digging In''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1982. *''A House Full of Women''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1983. *''Selected Poems, 1944-1977''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1985. *''Selected Poems, 1977-1984''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1985. *''Visitations''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1987. *''Entertaining Angels''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1988. *''Spring Again''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1990. *''Wheel of Change''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1993. *''Footnotes to the Book of Job''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1995. *''Garden of Sculpture''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1998. *''Burning Bush''. Ottawa: Oberon, 2000. *''Jacob's Dream''. Ottawa: Oberon, 2002. *''Collected Poems''. (2 volumes), Ottawa: Oberon, 2003-2004.Jean Wilson, "Brewster, Elizabeth Winifred," Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Foundation-Dominion Institute, TheCanadianEncyclopedia.ca, Web, Oct. 29, 2011. Lyrics *''The Ballad of Princess Caraboo'' (with music by Nancy Telfer). Oakville, ON: F. Harris Music, 1983. Novels *''The Sisters''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1974. *''Junction''. Windsor, ON: Black Moss Press, 1982. Short fiction *''It's Easy to Fall on the Ice: Ten stories''. Ottawa: Oberon, 1977. Non-fiction *''The Invention of Truth'' (memoir). Ottawa: Oberon, 1991. *''Away From Home'' (memoir). Ottawa: Oberon, 1995. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy Brock University.Elizabeth Brewster 1922 -, Canadian Women Poets, Brock University, BrockU.ca, Web, July 1, 2012. See also *New Brunswick poets *Canadian Jewish poets *List of Canadian poets References Notes External links ;Poems *"Where I Come from" ;Audio / video *Elizabeth Brewster at YouTube ;Books *Elizabeth Brewster at Amazon.ca *Elizabeth Brewster, 1922- at Canadian Women Poets ;About *Elizabeth Winifred Brewster in the Canadian Encyclopedia. *Elizabeth Brewster at In Memoriam *Elizabeth Brewster in the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan *Elizabeth Brewster in the New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia *Elizabeth Brewster’s journey of self-awareness led to prolific poetry career, obituary at the Globe & Mail Category:1922 births Category:Canadian poets Category:Radcliffe College alumni Category:Indiana University alumni Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:People from Queens County, New Brunswick Category:University of New Brunswick alumni Category:University of Saskatchewan faculty Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:Canadian people of German descent Category:Converts to Judaism Category:Canadian women writers Category:Jewish Canadian writers Category:20th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Women poets Category:20th-century women writers Category:Canadian academics Category:2012 deaths Category:Writers from New Brunswick Category:New Brunswick poets Category:Canadian Jewish poets